Dziatczak taking medical leave of absence

Birmingham Public Schools announced this week that superintendent Mark Dziatczak will be taking an extended medical leave of absence, and the board is in the midst of hiring an interim superintendent. Kim Whitman, president of the board of education, issued a statement on Tuesday, October 20, reading: “On behalf of the Birmingham Public Schools Board of Education, I want to share an update regarding district leadership. At this time, Superintendent Mark Dziatczak is taking an extended medical leave. Given the immediate needs of the district, it is anticipated that at tomorrow's board meeting it will be recommended that the board hire an interim superintendent. It is also anticipated that deputy superintendent Rachel Feder will be requested to temporarily assume the interim role of superintendent pending this critical position being filled.” According to district spokesperson Anne Cron, the board is finalizing a contract with former Farmington Schools Superintendent George Heitsch, who was superintendent of the district from 2014 to 2019, when he retired, to come in during Dziatczak's absence and run the district, for however long that may be. Prior to running Farmington Schools, Heitsch was superintendent of Avondale Schools for eight years. It is uncertain at this point, Cron said, how long Dziatczak will be out.